You know what would really warm us up in late winter? Some fresh, hot stimmy money! We’d take that check and head right to the Caribbean. 🌴 Oh, who are we kidding. We’d honestly just stock up on eggs. 🤪🍳
Back in the thick of the pandemic, Gov. DeWine put a stop to extra COVID cash. However, there’s still a ton of money set aside. Should those funds go to the Ohioans who need it most? 🤔
Here’s Five Fast Facts on Ohio’s leftover COVID funding:
- 💵 A Little Help - At the peak of the COVID pandemic (between late December 2020 and early September 2021), an additional $300 went to unemployed Ohioans. Anyone who was already receiving traditional unemployment benefits was eligible.
- 🚰 Turned Off - In June of 2021, Gov. DeWine put a stop to the extra $300 as he believed it was discouraging folks from returning to work. Other states followed suit. DeWine’s choice wound up leaving almost $1 billion in unused pandemic cash for Ohioans. It’s currently parked in a DOL bank account.
- 🧑⚖️ Sue Stew - In July of 2021, an attorney sued DeWine and company on behalf of Ohio citizens who were denied the extra payments. The argument was that the money is federally funded, so DeWine shouldn’t have been able to cancel it. The Franklin County Common Pleas Court ruled in favor of DeWine, but the Tenth District Court of Appeals ruled that the Governor had a duty to make sure those benefits got into the hands of Ohioans.
- 🆕 Fresh Takes - The benefits expired by the time the case hit the Ohio Supreme Court, but last year, the Franklin County Court allowed plaintiffs to bring in new complaints. One of those complaints came from a DOL administrator who said states who stopped the supplemental COVID unemployment cash could reverse their decision and get the money for their citizens.
- 🫴 Pay Up - The latest ruling? The decision to stop the benefits prematurely was a state violation. A judge ordered Ohio state officials to take any actions necessary to obtain the cash and distribute it to residents. Although this new decision could be appealed, the appellate court already ruled against the state. A new appeal would start up a brand new court battle.
🔥Bottom line: While we’re talking about payments and the government, we might as well talk about everyone’s favorite debt topic: student loans. If Trump pulls the plug on the Department of Education, do you still owe Uncle Sam? Get all the details on that saga right here.
Do you believe Ohioans should get the extra cash?
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